New York Public Library Delays Release of New Design

The New York Public Library on Wednesday said that it is delaying the release of a new design for the controversial renovation of its landmark Fifth Avenue building.

The Wall Street Journal in August reported that the library, in response to outcry over its plans to demolish century-old book stacks, was developing a new design that would preserve a significant portion of them.

The library’s president and chief executive, Anthony Marx, said then that the new design would be revealed this fall. The library now plans to release them “sometime after the New Year,” according to a statement posted to its website Wednesday.

“The design work is complex, and we are committed to getting it right to provide a transformative library experience for our users,” it said. “Accordingly, our schedule has changed.”

Responding to critics who have questioned the finances of the plan, Mr. Marx in June said the library would commission third-party estimates on the cost of potential alternatives, which include renovating the book stacks and Mid-Manhattan Library. The library Wednesday said those estimates “will be released upon their completion.”

The planned $300 million renovation has sparked two lawsuits brought by scholars and preservationists, including two Pulitzer Prize-winners, aiming to block the stacks’ destruction. Those lawsuits are still pending.